Plate-lifting grapple



E. W. WALTER.

PLATE LIFTING GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19,1920.

1,402,326, Patented Jan. 3, 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. w. WALTER.

PLATE LIFTING GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. x920.

1,402,32 I Patented Jan..3,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UHF STATES ER-N W. WALTER, 0F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

PLATE-LIFTING GRAPPLE.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, i922.

' Application filed July 19, 1920. Serial No; 397,198.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERN l/V. WALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Lifting Grapples, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompan ing drawings.

eretofore in plate mills, ship yards, nary yards, bridge and boiler shops and arounc the erection of building steel structures and like places, steel plates and the like have been handled by hooks suspended from diverging chains at the ends of the booms of lifting cranes and the like, and it has been found that handling plates in this manner results in the loss of life as well as other serious accidents, broken limbs and the like.

In handling the steel plates by means of hooks it necessitates properly balancing the plates on the hooks so as to prevent the plates or the hooks from slipping and very often it is necessary to lift the plates one or more times to ascertain whether they are properly balanced before carrying them any great distance.

Therefore, this invention relates to an improved plate grapple to be used in lieu of the heretofore employed hooks and it is the aim to obviate the above mentioned disadvantages and to provide a very simple, efficient and practical grapple which when tensioned is urged on the chains to which the grapple is attached, the clamping jaws being brought firmly in contact with the plate to be lifted and in such a manner as to prevent slipping of the plate or the displacement of the clamps.

Another object is to provide a grapple comprising apair of loosely jointed grappling members so constructed and arranged relatively to each other that when a plate to be lifted or handled is placed between the members and tension applied to the chains, the members will firmly grip the plate, and hold it securely in position while being transmitted any distance.

Still another object is the provision of a grapple including a hinged element of one of the grappling members adapted to bear down upon the plate to be handled, when a tension is urged on the other clamping member tending to force it toward the opposite grapplin device, whereby a pointed device on one o the ends of the abutment element will bite into the steel plate and hold it securely and in such wise as to prevent slipping of the plate.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth are deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of. the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes the invention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a view in perspective showing a grappling device constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the same gripping and holding a steel plate to be lifted, showing the jaws in grappling positions. Figure 2 is an edge elevation showing the aws in position before tension is applied, 271th the jaws out of secure grappling posiion,

Figure 3 is a sectional View on line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the jaws in secure grappling position with the plate to be lifted,

Figure 4 discloses collective views of the members of one of the grappling devices.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the grappling device as a whole, and in handling steel plates it is the aim to employ two of these devices, one at each edge of each end of the plate. Each grappling devlce comprises a clamping jaw 2 constructed of any suitable material preferably heavy sheet metal such as steel or the like and this clamping member at its lower end termi nates in a jaw 3. The upper end of the clamping member 2 is provided with an extension 4. This extension is of a reduced character relatively to the member 2, hence causing to be formed shoulders 5 adjacent the opposite edges of the extension. The extension has an opening or an aperture 6 in its upper end in which a ring 7 of one of a pair of diverging chains 8 engages. The diverging chain extends from the lower end of a single chain (not shown) which is adapted to depend from a lifting boom or lifting cable or the like not shown so that when the lifting boom is raised in any direction the grappling device will be carried therewith.

The grappling device also includes another clamping member 10 which is constructed of any suitable material preferably heavy sheet metal such as steel or the like, and the upper end of this member or plate 10 terminates in a pair of spaced arms or extensions 11. In other words, the plate or the clamping member 10 has a bifurcation 12 at its upper portion which causes the arms or extensions 11 to be formed. The extension 4 of the plate 2 passes through the bifurcation so that the arms or extensions 11 may engage on the opposite edges of the extension 4. Furthermore when the clamping plate or member 10 is down or the clamping members are not being employed for lifting a steel plate or the like, the arms or extensions 11 rest upon the shoulders 5 of the plate or clamp 2. The terminals of the arms or extensions 11 are turned into rolls 13 which receive a bolt 14. provided with a nut 15 and by the provision of this bolt, the clamping member or plate 1.0 is held loosely relatively to the plate or clamp 2. The bottom of the bifurcation of the plate or clamp 10 has an extension 16 provided with a notch 17 which when the clamping members or plates are performing their clamping actions, engages the peripheral surface of the hanger ring of the diverging chain thereby preventing upward movement of the clamping plate or member 10.

The lower end of the plate or clamping member 10 terminates in an extension, which is turned in the form of a roll 19. This extension forming the roll 19 is reduced relatively to the body of the plate or clamp 10 and the roll formed by the extension receives a pivot bolt 20. An abutment clamp or plate 21 to abut or bear against the upper surface of the steel plate to be liftedin order to hold the clamping member or plates in relative clamping actions is provided. This abutment plate 21 at one end, is slitted as shown at 22 thereby constructing'a plurality of tongues or extensions 23 and 24:. The extension 24 is interposed between the extensions 23 which latter are turned into rolls 25. The extension tongue 24 is interposed between the adjacent edges of the rolls or extensions 23 and is allowed to remain straight, and when the clamping members as well as the abutment plate or clamp 21 are performing their clamping actions, the extension 24: overlies the flange 3 of the clamping plate 2.

A clamping or binding screw 30 is carried in the extension 24: perpendicularly and this screw 30 at its lower end has a sharpened or conical extremity adapted to bear against and bite into the surface of the steel plate to be lifted, thereby preventing the plate to be lifted from slipping as well as preventing the grappling device from detaching. This screw is provided with upper and .lower holding nuts 31 and 32 to hold the screws in different adjusted positions, not only with respect to the extension or tongue 24: but also with respect to the right angle flange 3 of the plate so that the abutment clamping plate or jaw may perform different clamping actions on the plate to be lifted. The abutment plate 21 has an upturned end 33 provided with an aperture 84. If desired, suitable hooks carried by cables may engage these apertures 3 1 and assist in forcing the biting screws into the plate to be lifted. The pivot bolt 20 engages through the registering rolls 19 and 23 thereby pivotally and loosely connecting the clamping abutment plate 21 securely and relatively to the plate 10. c

It will be noted that when steel plates to be lifted and carried any great distance by a boom or the like, the clamping members are disposed as shown in Figure 1 with a plate to be lifted in position. After the steel plate to be lifted is arranged in position in the grappling members or clamps, and a strain or pulling action is urged upon the diverging chains or the like, the plates 2 will be forced toward each other and the plate 10 likewise moved thereby forcing the abutment plates 21 securely in contact with the plate to be lifted while the bitingscrew bites into the other end of the plate.

Vhen the plates or clamping members 2 and 10 are so moved and the abutment plate 21 is forced in contact withthe plate to be lifted, the screw 14: carried by the extension or tongue 24 will bite into the member to be lifted thereby preventing the same from becoming detached. 7

The invention having been/set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a grappling device, a clamping member terminatin in a'clamping jaw, 'a'second clamping mem er loosely mounted for loose vertical movement upon the upper end of the first clamping member, an abutment clamp hingedly connected to the lower end of the last clamping member and provided with means for cooperating with the clamping jaw to hold a plate to be grappled in position and against slipping, and means connected to the first clamping member for lifting the same whereby upon a strainbeing imparted upon the hoisting member connected to the first clamping plate, the first clamping plate will move toward the'corresponding plate of a similar grappling device, thereby gripping the steel plate in position.

2. In a grapple, a pair of clamping members relatively loosely connected at their up per ends, whereby they are capable of movements relatively to each other, one of said members terminating in a jaw, an abutment member operatively and movably connected to one of the clamping members and provided with means to bite into a steel plate as one of the clamping members is urged toward a corresponding clamping member of an opposite grappling device.

3. In a grapple, a pair of clamping members, one having a reduced extension at its upper end, the other having means engaging said reduced extension, thereby loosely joining said members for loose relative movements, the lower end of one clamping member terminating in a clamping jaw, an abutment member loosely and operatively connected to one of the clamping members at its lower end and having a biting device to bite into and clamp a plate to be lifted in position on the clamping jaw, when the abutment member is urged into contact with the plate to be lifted.

4. In a grapple, a pair of clamping members, one having a reduced extension at its upper end, the other having means engaging said reduced extension, thereby loosely joining said members for loose relative movements, the lower end of one clamping member terminating in a clamping jaw, an abutment member loosely and operatively connected to one of the clamping members at its lower end and having a biting device to bite into and clamp a plate to be lifted in position on the clamping jaw, when the abutment member is urged into contact with the plate to be lifted, and means connected to one of the clamping members so that when tension is urged on the means, the clamping member to which it is attached will move toward a corresponding member of an opposite grappling device thereby clamping and holding the plate to be lifted in position.

5. In a grapple, a pair of clamping members, one having a reduced extension at its upper end, the other having means enga ing said reduced extension, thereby loose y joining said members for loose relative movements, the lower end of one clamping member terminating in a clamping jaw, an abutment member loosely and operatively connected to one of the clamping members at its lower end and having a biting device to bite into and clamp a plate to be lifted in position on the clamping jaw, when the abutment member is urged into contact with the plate to be lifted, a ring loosely connected to the extension, on one of the clamping members, the other clamping member having means to engage the ring, thereby constituting abutment means to limit one of the clamping members in its upward movement relatively to the other clamping memher.

6. In a grapple, a pair of clamping members, one having a reduced extension at its upper end, the other having means engaging said reduced extension, thereby loosely jolning said members for loose relative movements, the lower end of one clamping member terminating in a clamping jaw, an abutment member loosely and operatively connected to one of the clamping members at its lower end and having an adjustable biting device to bite into and clamp a plate to be lifted in position on the clamping jaw, when the abutment member is urged into contact with the plate to be lifted.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature.

ERN W. WALTER. 

